Randy Elrod Inspired Blogs

Recently, I had breakfast with a guy who is starting a church in Parrish, FL. He's looking for someone to lead worship when they kick off in August. Glenn Crumpton gave him my name at a church start conference not too long ago. Mike Lowery was at the same conference and also recommended me. He then checked me out with others at Crosspoint Fellowship (Island Baptist Church) who know me. I called him last week to tell him I was on my way to Asheville and would not be able to help. He told me that the way I had been described to him was, "He's a young guy with white hair." Yeah!

A few years ago, our church sponsored a volleyball tournament annually. I think it was called "Reach 'Em for Jesus." Oooh. Anyway, I always played in it, of course. This particular year, our team was advancing up the ladder, as usual, and I found myself across the net from Duke and Evelyn. Now Duke is as tall as me but weighs a few pounds more. Evelyn is a very aggressive sportsman. It is still a mystery to me exactly *who* spiked the ball, but it evaded my block and hit me in my right eye. The eye turned blood red and I visited Dr. Moscoso the next day. The retina was torn and in danger of detaching, so he performed laser surgery on it, and to this day, I visit him every October. He always tells me, "No boxing, now." Darn.

Since then, I have become aware of the "floaters" in my eyes. In addition, there are these squiggly things that float around - eyes open or closed. I've noticed that when I focus on one, it moves to the outside. To get it back, I just look at something else.

I think creativity is like that. If we say, "OK, we have to think of something creative", then it won't happen. In order for it to come, the focus has to be elsewhere. Unfortunately, the bean counters who control the purse strings want to measure or count something. Creativity cannot be coerced or measured. And boy, do I miss the boxing!